Witch Doctor: Mal Practice #3Review

Writer Brandon Seifert and artist Lukas Ketner have subjected Doctor Vincent Morrow to a pretty rough ride so far in their six-issue miniseries, Witch Doctor: Mal Practice. The trip gets worse for their sarcastic hero in issue #3, as he ventures out to find a cure for the deadly illness with which he’s been infected.

This book is almost entirely conducted in a parking lot, with Morrow facing off with a group of hooded ne’er-do-wells. As you might expect, a back-and-forth between the two parties leads to an escalation. The plot structure is necessary in that it allows for the world building romps that we get to enjoy in other issues, but it could be executed with more nuance. When feathered in together, this series is a solid add to the pull list; however, Mal Practice tends to allow the two to separate into individual issues. As presented here, the confrontation is basically a series of WWE entrances culminating in a cliffhanger.

Ketner once again excels at the paranormal metaphysics, doing his best work toward the end of the issue. He does well explaining the actions of his characters’ movements, but the framing of his characters may negatively impact the readers’ involvement in the scenes. Frequently, Ketner will leave a great deal of negative space above and around his characters (presumably to allow for lettering). As a result, the action of each panel feels to me just a bit removed, as though I’m watching from a distance rather than taking part in the scene. It’s also disappointing to see such a bland design for the golems from a mind that has proven a vast capability for macabre imaginings time and again.

Witch Doctor is one of the most innovative worlds to hit comics in the last few years. If every issue could stand on its own as nothing but 22 pages of world building, I’d be a happy man. Characters are a big part of any narrative, though, and the characters of Witch Doctor are still rather thin, even at this stage in their existence. The series of catastrophes that befall Dr. Morrow and his team in this issue suggest a more wide-open adventure in the next issue. But, for now, this issue’s value lies in its logistical advances.

Poet Mase is a regular contributor to IGN. Follow Poet on Twitter @PoetMase, or post a message on his IGN profile PoetMase.